According to Spotify, the most popular track this year was Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" both in the U.S. and worldwide. Fun's "We Are Young" and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" rounded out the top three most popular songs in the U.S. this year.

Spotify then turned its attention to artists, and discovered that Rihanna was the most popular female artist this year. David Guetta took the top spot for most popular male performer. Guetta's album "Nothing but the Beat" earned top honors for most popular album and most shared album on the service.

Responding to its obvious troubles, Spotify has become more Pandora-like by offering a free mobile radio service. The company still, however, relies mainly on monthly payment plans to monetize its operation.

Still, Spotify's user base in the U.S. appears to be quite similar to those heading to iTunes to get their favorite tracks. According to Apple, "Call me Maybe," "Somebody That I Used to Know," and "We Are Young" were also the top three most popular songs on iTunes this year.

About the author

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
See full bio